WEBVTT 00:00:07.679 --> 00:00:14.080 Well, at Christmas we worship the birth of Jesus Christ. 00:00:14.960 --> 00:00:26.879 And when we identify the one born on that first Christmas morning as Jesus Christ, you understand what the word Christ means. 00:00:27.199 --> 00:00:29.920 It means it's just a transliterated word. 00:00:30.000 --> 00:00:32.479 It means it's from the Greek language, Christos. 00:00:32.640 --> 00:00:37.439 It's brought into English just without even translating it, just rendering the letters over as Christ. 00:00:37.679 --> 00:00:38.719 It's a title. 00:00:38.960 --> 00:00:41.039 It's not his last name. 00:00:41.280 --> 00:00:44.719 Mary's last name wasn't Christ, and so Jesus got it. 00:00:44.880 --> 00:00:45.840 It's a title. 00:00:46.079 --> 00:00:50.000 And it's a title with a specific meaning that's found in the Old Testament. 00:00:50.240 --> 00:00:56.399 The word means Messiah, or to really translate it would be anointed one. 00:00:56.880 --> 00:01:01.759 What it means to be anointed, we don't do anointing in our country, really. 00:01:02.000 --> 00:01:07.439 What it means to be anointed is to be really sworn in, to be identified for a specific office. 00:01:07.680 --> 00:01:12.239 So the closest we have in America would be kind of an inauguration. 00:01:12.400 --> 00:01:19.120 You know, the president-elect puts his hand on the Bible and, you know, takes an oath and he's inaugurated. 00:01:19.280 --> 00:01:22.480 That's kind of what's meant with anointing. 00:01:22.799 --> 00:01:29.599 It was something that God established in the Old Testament to consecrate somebody for a specific work or specific office. 00:01:29.760 --> 00:01:36.400 It was to identify someone as a leader that God had installed to be over his people. 00:01:45.280 --> 00:01:49.120 Can you think of who the first person in the Bible was to be anointed? 00:01:50.159 --> 00:01:52.239 And it wasn't a king. 00:01:53.519 --> 00:02:03.680 The first person in the Bible to be anointed, and you can just before the Lord know that if you got it right in your heart or not, were the high priests in Exodus 29 and Exodus 30. 00:02:03.760 --> 00:02:05.680 They were the first people that God said should be anointed. 00:02:05.760 --> 00:02:14.639 In fact, that whole section, Exodus 29 through Exodus 30, describes the mixture of oils and how the oils and perfume would be made, how they'd be put on the priest's head. 00:02:14.719 --> 00:02:21.280 And that separated the one priest from all of the others, and that priest would be the high priest. 00:02:21.919 --> 00:02:23.919 But priests weren't the only ones to be anointed. 00:02:24.000 --> 00:02:25.280 Kings were to be anointed. 00:02:25.439 --> 00:02:29.599 And for a really tricky question, I would be shocked if any of you get right. 00:02:31.039 --> 00:02:36.639 Can you think of who the first king was in the Bible to be anointed? 00:02:37.039 --> 00:02:42.960 And some of you are saying Jesus because you're so trained on the Sunday school answer, but it was not Jesus. 00:02:43.280 --> 00:02:47.439 Although that answer is coming up, don't worry, we'll get to the question where the right answer is Jesus. 00:02:47.599 --> 00:02:52.240 The first king in the Bible to be anointed is actually a fictional king. 00:02:52.719 --> 00:02:54.240 It was a tree. 00:02:54.560 --> 00:03:04.800 In Judges chapter 9, a prophet tells a fictional story about trees getting in an argument in the forest, and the trees decide that they need another to rule over them. 00:03:04.879 --> 00:03:07.439 And so they ask the olive tree, can we anoint you as the king? 00:03:07.520 --> 00:03:08.400 And the olive tree says no. 00:03:08.479 --> 00:03:11.120 And they asked the fig tree, and the fig tree says, I like my figs too much. 00:03:11.199 --> 00:03:14.800 And so they ask a thornbush, and they say, Thornbush, will you be our king? 00:03:14.960 --> 00:03:16.159 And the thornbush says yes. 00:03:16.240 --> 00:03:19.680 And so the olive tree and the fig tree anoint the thornbush as their king. 00:03:20.000 --> 00:03:21.439 You probably didn't know that story. 00:03:21.680 --> 00:03:22.800 It's Judges chapter 9. 00:03:22.879 --> 00:03:24.479 It has a dramatic ending, by the way. 00:03:24.719 --> 00:03:27.439 After the thornbush is anointed king, the whole forest burns down. 00:03:27.520 --> 00:03:29.360 So it's just kind of, and the prophet leaves. 00:03:29.439 --> 00:03:31.520 So it's like, okay, no sequel there. 00:03:31.599 --> 00:03:32.319 Everyone's dead. 00:03:32.400 --> 00:03:33.439 Move along. 00:03:34.479 --> 00:03:39.520 The first human king to be anointed was Saul, anointed by Samuel. 00:03:39.680 --> 00:03:40.800 That didn't go well. 00:03:41.360 --> 00:03:44.639 So then as Saul anointed, uh Samuel anointed David. 00:03:44.719 --> 00:03:46.000 It was round two of this. 00:03:46.080 --> 00:03:47.039 That went better. 00:03:47.360 --> 00:03:50.639 He was the righteous king, the rightful king. 00:03:50.960 --> 00:03:52.800 And the stories go on and on. 00:03:52.960 --> 00:04:00.960 The kings were anointed one after another, longing for the day when the true king of Israel, who would be called the Messiah, the real anointed one, would come. 00:04:01.120 --> 00:04:09.840 In fact, even before Saul was anointed, Samuel records Hannah's prayer, and Hannah prays that God would send a true anointed king to rule over Israel. 00:04:10.000 --> 00:04:22.240 Not like Saul, who wasn't even king yet, not even like David, who had sin, but a true, sinless king to reign over their people who would be called the anointed one, who'd be called the Messiah. 00:04:22.560 --> 00:04:25.120 You know, prophets were anointed. 00:04:25.439 --> 00:04:27.199 Elisha was anointed. 00:04:27.519 --> 00:04:31.839 Elisha had King Jehu anointed, which is my favorite anointed story in the whole Old Testament. 00:04:32.000 --> 00:04:48.879 If you remember how Jehu was going to be the king of Israel, was anointed, Elisha sent a messenger, some like, you know, seminary student to go anoint Jehu, and he's at a war council surrounded by all of his leaders, and this prophet's messenger asks to speak with the king privately, and they're in a, you know, it's complicated. 00:04:48.959 --> 00:04:58.000 They're in the war council, so they step into a closet together, and the messenger anoints him with oil and says, You're the king of Israel, and you're the rightful king. 00:04:58.079 --> 00:05:00.720 And then the messenger runs out of the closet and leaves. 00:05:01.360 --> 00:05:04.000 And so Jehu walks back out into his war council. 00:05:04.079 --> 00:05:05.920 He's got oil dripping all over him. 00:05:06.160 --> 00:05:10.000 And the generals are around the table, and they say, What was that about? 00:05:10.319 --> 00:05:12.800 And he said, Oh, you know how those crazy prophets are. 00:05:12.959 --> 00:05:14.160 Don't pay any attention to them. 00:05:14.319 --> 00:05:17.040 And they're like, dude, you have oil all over you. 00:05:17.680 --> 00:05:19.920 And he says, Okay, he said, I'm the king. 00:05:20.160 --> 00:05:24.480 And they all fall down on their knees and pledge allegiance to him. 00:05:24.639 --> 00:05:26.480 It's an insane scene. 00:05:26.800 --> 00:05:50.879 But we understand the real priest, the real king, and the real prophet that the Old Testament was looking forward to, the one who combines all three of those offices, prophet, priest, and king, would be anointed as the ruler of Israel, and that, the true anointed one, is the Messiah, and that is, now it's a Sunday school answer, that is, oh man, so good. 00:05:51.199 --> 00:05:51.839 So good. 00:05:52.319 --> 00:05:54.480 But now I have a harder question for you. 00:05:56.000 --> 00:06:07.439 If Jesus is the Messiah, if he is the truly anointed one, when was he anointed? 00:06:08.399 --> 00:06:14.000 When did people gather together and anoint him as the anointed one? 00:06:14.160 --> 00:06:20.399 I mean, if his if his title is Jesus the Christ, when was he actually anointed? 00:06:21.439 --> 00:06:24.480 And there's lots of different ways to answer that question. 00:06:24.720 --> 00:06:40.160 And of course, the most obvious answer is when God himself anointed Jesus at his baptism, the Holy Spirit came onto him, the dove landed on him, separating him, consecrating him, the voice from heaven said, This is my son with whom I'm well pleased. 00:06:40.399 --> 00:06:42.720 Do what he says, listen to him. 00:06:44.319 --> 00:06:50.319 And so clearly the Father identifies Jesus as the rightful Messiah through that act of anointing. 00:06:50.480 --> 00:06:51.279 It's better than oil. 00:06:51.360 --> 00:06:53.920 He was anointed with the Holy Spirit himself. 00:06:55.120 --> 00:06:59.120 But there is an occasion where people did anoint Jesus. 00:06:59.360 --> 00:07:00.480 One person in particular. 00:07:00.560 --> 00:07:05.120 So I want you to open your Bibles there, and this will become a Christmas message soon enough. 00:07:05.199 --> 00:07:07.600 It is Matthew chapter 26. 00:07:08.399 --> 00:07:09.759 Matthew chapter 26. 00:07:09.839 --> 00:07:12.720 It's page 831 in those red pew Bibles. 00:07:13.920 --> 00:07:15.199 Matthew 26. 00:07:15.439 --> 00:07:17.600 This is the very end of Jesus' life. 00:07:17.680 --> 00:07:24.959 So we began our service tonight reading about the birth of Jesus and reading about the wise men who brought Jesus' gifts. 00:07:26.560 --> 00:07:30.000 And now we end Jesus' life, the last week of his life. 00:07:30.160 --> 00:07:32.720 This is on a Saturday night, this scene takes place. 00:07:32.800 --> 00:07:37.199 It's Matthew 26, verse 6. 00:07:38.480 --> 00:07:40.160 Jesus is in Bethany. 00:07:40.319 --> 00:07:43.519 It's the next Sunday morning where he's going to have his entrance into Jerusalem. 00:07:43.680 --> 00:07:46.000 So Bethany is towards Bethlehem. 00:07:46.079 --> 00:07:47.920 It's just outside of Jerusalem. 00:07:48.240 --> 00:07:51.120 The next morning, Jesus is going to enter into the city. 00:07:51.279 --> 00:07:53.199 The Sabbath, the Saturday Sabbath is over. 00:07:53.279 --> 00:07:55.120 The Jews wouldn't be moving around on Sabbath. 00:07:55.439 --> 00:07:59.600 But as the sun sets, the Jews would get together to close out their Sabbath together. 00:07:59.680 --> 00:08:00.720 It's that kind of party. 00:08:00.800 --> 00:08:03.600 This is the last Saturday night of Jesus' life. 00:08:04.639 --> 00:08:06.639 And he's gathered together with friends. 00:08:06.720 --> 00:08:14.639 And this story has always reminded me a little bit of Christmas Eve because it is Jesus with his closest friends, those who he considers his family. 00:08:14.800 --> 00:08:15.680 They're together. 00:08:15.920 --> 00:08:19.439 The next morning is going to be the introduction of the Messiah to Jerusalem. 00:08:19.600 --> 00:08:22.399 Jesus is going to enter Jerusalem, riding on the donkey. 00:08:22.480 --> 00:08:24.079 He's going to be proclaimed to be their king. 00:08:24.240 --> 00:08:26.560 Hosanna in the highest, all of that. 00:08:26.879 --> 00:08:30.000 But the night before that introduction, Jesus is with some friends. 00:08:30.160 --> 00:08:32.480 This is described in Matthew, Mark, and John. 00:08:32.559 --> 00:08:35.279 When you take all three accounts together, you get kind of a full picture. 00:08:35.440 --> 00:08:38.320 It's Jesus' closest friends, including Mary. 00:08:38.559 --> 00:08:45.759 Mary, the sister of Martha, the two women that were often waiting on Jesus and serving Jesus, Lazarus's sister. 00:08:46.000 --> 00:08:50.000 Lazarus, remember, was dead, and Jesus resurrected him. 00:08:50.399 --> 00:08:52.399 Lazarus is here, of course. 00:08:52.559 --> 00:08:53.440 John lets us know that. 00:08:53.519 --> 00:08:55.519 Oh, what a guest list, by the way. 00:08:55.759 --> 00:08:57.200 You got Lazarus who's been dead. 00:08:57.279 --> 00:08:58.879 I bet everybody's crowded around Lazarus. 00:08:59.200 --> 00:08:59.759 What was it like? 00:08:59.840 --> 00:09:00.879 And he's probably upset at them. 00:09:00.960 --> 00:09:02.399 Why'd you bring me back? 00:09:04.159 --> 00:09:05.919 Mary and Martha are there. 00:09:06.240 --> 00:09:07.360 Mary listening to Jesus. 00:09:07.519 --> 00:09:08.639 Martha running around everywhere? 00:09:08.799 --> 00:09:10.320 Probably, I'm just guessing. 00:09:11.679 --> 00:09:14.480 The house that they do this at in verse 6 lets you know. 00:09:14.559 --> 00:09:16.639 It was the house of Simon the leper. 00:09:17.200 --> 00:09:19.840 Now, I don't know much about Simon beyond what's here. 00:09:20.080 --> 00:09:23.039 I do know this though, lepers don't host house parties. 00:09:23.840 --> 00:09:29.919 I mean, leprosy is highly contagious and way more way more contagious and way more lethal than COVID. 00:09:30.080 --> 00:09:35.679 So just bring in our own COVID language to this, like, oh, it's the house of Simon who had COVID. 00:09:36.080 --> 00:09:38.879 There's a raging party at the COVID guy's house. 00:09:39.039 --> 00:09:44.240 Well, you would deduce from that whatever else you'd say about Simon, he has COVID no longer, right? 00:09:44.480 --> 00:09:47.679 Whatever else you want to say about Simon, he is a leper no more. 00:09:49.120 --> 00:09:52.399 Highly contagious, lethal, unclean. 00:09:52.559 --> 00:09:54.320 But Jesus, of course, healed him. 00:09:54.399 --> 00:09:56.879 And because there's no other way to be healed. 00:09:57.279 --> 00:09:58.879 There's no other way to get rid of leprosy. 00:09:59.039 --> 00:10:01.120 Leprosy kills everybody it gets. 00:10:01.360 --> 00:10:03.919 But this guy is a leper no more because he knew Jesus. 00:10:04.000 --> 00:10:06.639 So he's probably over there with Lazarus. 00:10:06.720 --> 00:10:12.240 And by the way, if you were a leper and you were healed by Jesus, I think I would demand that people still refer to you as the leper. 00:10:12.639 --> 00:10:15.679 Hi, I'm Simon the leper, just to watch their responses. 00:10:16.799 --> 00:10:18.480 So this is the party. 00:10:19.200 --> 00:10:21.759 John says they were reclining at the table. 00:10:22.000 --> 00:10:24.480 That's something you do when you're with friends. 00:10:25.039 --> 00:10:26.320 You rely in the Jewish world. 00:10:26.639 --> 00:10:28.799 You sit down and you recline, like after you have a meal. 00:10:28.960 --> 00:10:31.039 You lay your heads on each other's chest. 00:10:31.759 --> 00:10:32.879 Americans don't do that kind of thing. 00:10:32.960 --> 00:10:34.000 It'd be very weird and creepy. 00:10:34.080 --> 00:10:36.000 Don't do it at your Christmas Eve party tonight. 00:10:36.240 --> 00:10:37.279 But the Jews would do that. 00:10:37.360 --> 00:10:42.559 They would lay down around the table and you'd lay your head down on your friend's chest or even in his lap. 00:10:42.639 --> 00:10:43.679 It wasn't weird for the Jews. 00:10:44.320 --> 00:10:45.519 That's what they did. 00:10:45.759 --> 00:10:47.120 And so that's what's happening here. 00:10:47.279 --> 00:10:48.000 John lets us know. 00:10:48.080 --> 00:10:50.240 Everybody's laying around the table after their meal. 00:10:50.559 --> 00:10:53.279 Again, it's Jesus' last Saturday night alive. 00:10:54.080 --> 00:10:56.639 And it's kind of a festive atmosphere. 00:10:57.440 --> 00:11:01.440 But the atmosphere changes rather dramatically in verse 7. 00:11:01.519 --> 00:11:08.399 When a woman came up to him, and we find out that this is Mary, Martha's sister, Lazarus' sister, who does this. 00:11:08.960 --> 00:11:14.080 She comes up to him with an alabaster flask, a very expensive ointment. 00:11:15.759 --> 00:11:20.159 We find out from Mark that this would be 300 denarii. 00:11:20.240 --> 00:11:24.559 That's the day's wages for a day laborer for 300 days. 00:11:24.639 --> 00:11:27.200 A denera is a day's wage for a day laborer. 00:11:27.360 --> 00:11:32.399 So, you know, 150 bucks, let's say it might cost a day laborer to work for you for a day. 00:11:32.480 --> 00:11:33.120 I mean, who knows? 00:11:33.279 --> 00:11:33.840 200 bucks. 00:11:33.919 --> 00:11:35.360 I don't know, 150 bucks, let's just say. 00:11:35.440 --> 00:11:39.440 So you're talking like$35,000 is what this perfume costs. 00:11:39.919 --> 00:11:41.120 It's incredible. 00:11:41.279 --> 00:11:45.360 But we don't have anything like that really in our American culture. 00:11:45.440 --> 00:11:57.840 But the Jews did, and the Roman Empire had expanded into India, and they had very high quality and a high, very costly perfume from the Middle East and even India that was there, and it was a way to pass along wealth through your family. 00:11:57.919 --> 00:12:00.799 And so this is a big deal, this kind of perfume. 00:12:00.879 --> 00:12:01.919 And Mary has it. 00:12:02.000 --> 00:12:03.679 We don't know much about Mary and Martha's family. 00:12:03.759 --> 00:12:04.639 Maybe they were wealthy. 00:12:04.799 --> 00:12:10.080 Maybe they had like four of them on the shelf, or maybe she had saved up money for a long time for this. 00:12:10.879 --> 00:12:12.639 Maybe it was given to them. 00:12:12.879 --> 00:12:15.200 It wasn't used at Lazarus' funeral, we know that. 00:12:15.279 --> 00:12:19.120 When Lazarus died, he was not anointed with this perfume, because remember what Mary said about him? 00:12:19.519 --> 00:12:21.679 My lord, by now he stinks. 00:12:22.399 --> 00:12:25.919 So there's no$30,000 perfume involved with Lazarus' death. 00:12:26.159 --> 00:12:27.919 But she brings it out now. 00:12:28.879 --> 00:12:30.720 And you would use this for somebody's death. 00:12:30.799 --> 00:12:33.039 I mean, that's the function of this kind of perfume. 00:12:33.600 --> 00:12:38.799 You'd use it at somebody's death, and she takes it and she poured it. 00:12:39.600 --> 00:12:41.519 Mark says she breaks the neck of it. 00:12:41.600 --> 00:12:43.840 She says, You broke the perfume bottle. 00:12:44.080 --> 00:12:45.519 And so it's all going out now. 00:12:45.600 --> 00:12:48.080 She's not a dab on the wrists here. 00:12:48.960 --> 00:12:55.519 She breaks$35,000 of perfume and oil mixed together. 00:12:55.759 --> 00:12:58.080 Ointment is the word that's used here in the ESV. 00:12:58.559 --> 00:13:02.799 And she pours that mixture on his head. 00:13:03.039 --> 00:13:04.960 That's how you anoint someone. 00:13:05.600 --> 00:13:10.559 She breaks this oil, pours it on his head as he's reclining at the table. 00:13:13.039 --> 00:13:16.320 The disciples saw this and they were indignant. 00:13:16.720 --> 00:13:20.240 The Greek word there literally means they were hot with anger. 00:13:20.480 --> 00:13:23.039 The disciples were hacked about this. 00:13:23.759 --> 00:13:25.200 What is happening? 00:13:25.519 --> 00:13:27.120 The mood totally changes. 00:13:27.279 --> 00:13:29.919 Okay, this is not this is not a normal routine at a party. 00:13:30.000 --> 00:13:31.360 This would be shocking. 00:13:32.799 --> 00:13:45.440 People are gathered together in a festive atmosphere, and here comes Mary breaking a ridiculously expensive bottle of perfume mixed with oil, dumping it over Jesus' head. 00:13:47.840 --> 00:13:49.840 And the disciples lose their mind. 00:13:50.000 --> 00:13:50.399 Why? 00:13:50.639 --> 00:13:51.440 Notice what they say. 00:13:51.600 --> 00:13:52.960 Why this waste? 00:13:53.840 --> 00:13:54.799 Why this waste? 00:13:54.879 --> 00:13:56.720 They perceive it as wasteful. 00:13:58.639 --> 00:14:04.799 In fact, they go on to say, this could have been sold for a large sum of money and given to the poor. 00:14:05.039 --> 00:14:10.720 The other gospels let us know that it was Judas that said this first, but Matthew lets us know that everybody else piled on with this. 00:14:10.879 --> 00:14:13.919 Judas suddenly became concerned about poverty. 00:14:14.320 --> 00:14:26.639 Judas, who's stealing from the money bag, we know that, he's stealing Jesus' money when Jesus isn't watching, suddenly is very concerned that this massive amount of perfume wasn't liquidated with the assets given to the poor. 00:14:27.200 --> 00:14:33.200 These people were totally fine at a party receiving other people's generosity. 00:14:33.360 --> 00:14:36.000 They were totally fine with the nice food. 00:14:36.320 --> 00:14:39.200 When they were receiving it, they were stoked about it. 00:14:39.440 --> 00:14:40.879 Oh, how generous these people are. 00:14:40.960 --> 00:14:42.320 They're giving me whatever I want to eat. 00:14:42.480 --> 00:14:48.720 But the second it got used somewhere else other than them, they were upset, and of course, they were concerned for the poor. 00:14:50.159 --> 00:14:51.919 I hope you can tell by the way I said that. 00:14:52.000 --> 00:14:55.120 I don't really buy that it was the poor they were concerned about. 00:14:55.440 --> 00:14:57.759 They wanted the money for themselves. 00:14:58.720 --> 00:15:09.759 Now, if you were thoughtful, you would deduce that Mary is preparing Jesus' body for burial. 00:15:10.960 --> 00:15:14.639 Now we know that because Jesus says that. 00:15:14.879 --> 00:15:18.000 Look down at verse 12, in pouring this ointment on my body. 00:15:18.080 --> 00:15:18.960 This is Jesus speaking. 00:15:19.039 --> 00:15:21.440 She has done it to prepare me for burial. 00:15:22.559 --> 00:15:25.759 Mary has been listening, where the disciples have not. 00:15:25.919 --> 00:15:31.519 Jesus has been saying for several months now that he was going to Jerusalem to die. 00:15:31.679 --> 00:15:41.120 Several months ago, he was up in Galilee, 100 plus miles away, and he starts walking to Jerusalem, and he's telling all of his disciples, I'm going to Jerusalem to die. 00:15:41.279 --> 00:15:42.159 That's why I'm going there. 00:15:42.320 --> 00:15:45.679 I'm going, the Son of Man's going to be surrendered over, given over. 00:15:47.120 --> 00:15:49.919 The Pharisees will betray him, convict him. 00:15:50.080 --> 00:15:51.440 The Romans will crucify him. 00:15:51.679 --> 00:15:53.679 He says he's going to be crucified on a cross. 00:15:53.840 --> 00:15:57.679 He's telling them very clearly, in fact, earlier in Matthew chapter 26. 00:15:58.000 --> 00:15:58.960 Look at verse 2. 00:15:59.200 --> 00:16:00.159 You're probably open to it. 00:16:00.320 --> 00:16:02.159 You know that in two days the Passover is coming. 00:16:02.240 --> 00:16:03.759 So this is before the perfume thing. 00:16:03.919 --> 00:16:06.559 This is on Wednesday or Tuesday or Wednesday. 00:16:06.720 --> 00:16:08.879 And the Son of Man will be delivered up to be crucified. 00:16:08.960 --> 00:16:13.600 So Jesus is telling them, I'm going to die on a cross. 00:16:14.480 --> 00:16:18.159 And the disciples are saying, No, you're not. 00:16:18.399 --> 00:16:20.000 Do you remember what Peter says? 00:16:20.320 --> 00:16:22.879 No way, Jesus, over my dead body. 00:16:24.799 --> 00:16:29.039 But Mary, precious Mary, has been listening. 00:16:30.080 --> 00:16:33.360 And so now the last week of Jesus' life is beginning. 00:16:33.679 --> 00:16:36.639 Saturday night starts the first day of the week in the Jewish calendar. 00:16:36.799 --> 00:16:39.039 It's the last week of Jesus' life. 00:16:39.360 --> 00:16:40.960 And Mary is heartbroken. 00:16:41.120 --> 00:16:44.799 Remember, Mary was, Martha and Mary were weeping at Lazarus' death. 00:16:44.879 --> 00:16:46.320 They were longing for Jesus to come. 00:16:46.480 --> 00:16:50.639 It was them who said, Jesus, if you had been here, Lazarus wouldn't have died. 00:16:50.879 --> 00:16:53.200 I mean, they loved Jesus. 00:16:53.519 --> 00:16:54.559 These two women did. 00:16:54.639 --> 00:16:55.600 They loved him. 00:16:56.639 --> 00:16:59.360 And they know he's going to die this week. 00:17:00.559 --> 00:17:05.920 The disciples have either argued with Jesus about it or just refused to believe it. 00:17:08.079 --> 00:17:11.920 But Mary is in a position where she's going to do all that she can. 00:17:12.799 --> 00:17:17.920 She wants to repair his body to be buried. 00:17:18.720 --> 00:17:20.799 Jesus in verse 10 is aware of all of this. 00:17:20.960 --> 00:17:22.480 He knows all of this. 00:17:23.519 --> 00:17:29.519 And he sticks up for Mary, the disciples, these 12 knuckleheads harping on Mary. 00:17:29.759 --> 00:17:31.759 Why do you trouble the woman? 00:17:32.079 --> 00:17:33.279 Jesus asks them. 00:17:33.519 --> 00:17:36.720 She has done a beautiful thing to me. 00:17:37.359 --> 00:17:40.640 Jesus sticks up for Mary, defends her. 00:17:42.000 --> 00:17:45.279 Jesus makes a comment about the poor you all has always have with you. 00:17:45.440 --> 00:17:46.799 You won't always have me. 00:17:47.039 --> 00:17:48.640 He's quoting Leviticus. 00:17:48.720 --> 00:17:51.920 It says, if you keep the Levitical law, the poor will no longer be in the lands. 00:17:52.000 --> 00:17:55.440 However, the Jews will never keep the law, and so the poor will always be with them. 00:17:56.480 --> 00:17:58.240 And then he gets back to his own body. 00:17:58.319 --> 00:18:01.920 And pouring this ointment on me, she's done it to prepare me for burial. 00:18:02.240 --> 00:18:13.519 Truly I say to you, wherever the gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will also be told in memory of her. 00:18:16.000 --> 00:18:17.920 There's no other line like this. 00:18:18.799 --> 00:18:20.880 There's no other line like this in Jesus' teaching. 00:18:21.039 --> 00:18:23.200 He never said that about anybody else. 00:18:23.440 --> 00:18:27.839 He never looked at something Peter did and said, Well, that's incredible, Peter. 00:18:28.000 --> 00:18:31.680 Wherever the gospel goes in the whole world, I'm gonna make sure everybody knows about this. 00:18:32.160 --> 00:18:33.279 Peter did incredible things. 00:18:33.359 --> 00:18:36.480 He walked on water, of course, to meet Jesus. 00:18:37.759 --> 00:18:40.400 He never doesn't say this kind of thing. 00:18:40.960 --> 00:18:42.640 But he says it from Mary. 00:18:42.960 --> 00:18:47.839 Wherever the gospel goes, there's so much packed into this little closing verse here, verse 13. 00:18:48.240 --> 00:18:51.759 First of all, the gospel is going to be proclaimed in the whole world. 00:18:52.720 --> 00:18:53.680 That's noteworthy. 00:18:53.759 --> 00:18:56.559 This is the last use of the word gospel in in Matthew's gospel. 00:18:56.799 --> 00:19:04.160 Matthew's gospel begins Jesus' ministry back in Matthew chapter 4 by saying Jesus came preaching the gospel, the good news of the gospel. 00:19:04.319 --> 00:19:06.640 Jesus is a gospel preacher, he's proclaiming it. 00:19:06.960 --> 00:19:11.839 Now Jesus' life ends, and this is his closing declaration of the gospel. 00:19:11.920 --> 00:19:16.799 And he says, it's going to go all over the world. 00:19:18.240 --> 00:19:20.880 The disciples didn't have a grid for that. 00:19:21.119 --> 00:19:27.599 They were still holding on, so Sunday come around, Jesus goes into Jerusalem, overthrows in Romans, and Jerusalem becomes the capital of the world. 00:19:27.680 --> 00:19:29.599 That's what they were angling for. 00:19:29.920 --> 00:19:32.480 Even though Jesus said, I'm going to go to Jerusalem and be killed. 00:19:32.559 --> 00:19:35.519 They're like, yeah, but maybe you'll win the recount. 00:19:37.839 --> 00:19:39.920 And here Jesus says, you know what? 00:19:40.000 --> 00:19:43.599 The gospel's going to go all over the world. 00:19:43.759 --> 00:19:45.119 Through his own death, of course. 00:19:45.279 --> 00:19:46.240 He's saying that. 00:19:46.480 --> 00:19:49.200 She's preparing my bottle, my body for burial. 00:19:49.279 --> 00:19:51.119 In other words, I'm going to die. 00:19:52.799 --> 00:19:54.160 I will be buried. 00:19:54.319 --> 00:19:56.160 That's what she's doing. 00:19:58.000 --> 00:20:00.319 And the whole world's going to hear about it. 00:20:00.960 --> 00:20:03.839 The whole world will hear the gospel of Jesus Christ. 00:20:04.160 --> 00:20:08.640 And what she's done will also be told in memory of her. 00:20:08.960 --> 00:20:14.880 Now, what she's done, it's more than just preparing Jesus' body for burial. 00:20:15.039 --> 00:20:16.880 There's expensive perfume. 00:20:17.039 --> 00:20:18.880 Jesus is going to resurrect on three days. 00:20:18.960 --> 00:20:21.200 That's less time than Lazarus was in the grave. 00:20:22.640 --> 00:20:24.880 But what she's doing is she's anointing him. 00:20:26.000 --> 00:20:28.319 She's making a public declaration. 00:20:28.799 --> 00:20:32.000 This is the Messiah. 00:20:32.400 --> 00:20:34.559 Peter had already said, you're the Christ. 00:20:34.720 --> 00:20:35.440 You're the Messiah. 00:20:35.599 --> 00:20:36.720 Peter declared it. 00:20:36.880 --> 00:20:38.960 The crowd heard it at the baptism. 00:20:40.559 --> 00:20:45.039 But until now, nobody had anointed him. 00:20:47.279 --> 00:20:49.359 As I mentioned, we don't know where the oil comes from. 00:20:49.519 --> 00:20:50.160 Lots of theories. 00:20:50.240 --> 00:20:53.039 You know, one of the leading theories is on where the oil comes from? 00:20:53.519 --> 00:20:54.400 The wise men. 00:20:54.960 --> 00:20:55.920 They brought oil. 00:20:56.160 --> 00:20:57.519 They brought burial spices. 00:20:57.839 --> 00:20:58.880 The wise men did. 00:20:59.359 --> 00:21:01.279 Frankincense and myrrh. 00:21:01.440 --> 00:21:03.440 Myrrh would be used as a burial spice. 00:21:03.599 --> 00:21:06.079 A very strange baby gift. 00:21:07.440 --> 00:21:11.920 You don't get somebody a headstone for a baby shower. 00:21:15.440 --> 00:21:17.519 That's kind of what's happening here. 00:21:17.839 --> 00:21:25.839 The wise men brought burial spices, and now at the end of Jesus' life, his body is anointed for burial. 00:21:26.079 --> 00:21:32.880 This demonstrates, for all who have ears to hear, that he is the true Christ. 00:21:33.119 --> 00:21:34.240 He is the true Messiah. 00:21:34.319 --> 00:21:36.480 He's not one king from the line of David. 00:21:36.720 --> 00:21:38.000 He's the king. 00:21:38.880 --> 00:21:41.039 He's not one of God's prophets. 00:21:41.279 --> 00:21:43.440 The prophets prophesied up until John. 00:21:43.759 --> 00:21:46.319 He is the prophet. 00:21:47.599 --> 00:21:50.240 He's not one of the priests, and there will be others as well. 00:21:50.400 --> 00:21:51.839 No, no, no, no, no. 00:21:52.640 --> 00:21:54.559 He is the priest. 00:21:55.119 --> 00:21:59.839 The high priest who will go right into the court of heaven itself. 00:22:01.759 --> 00:22:03.680 To forgive us of our sins. 00:22:04.960 --> 00:22:06.799 So, how does this all come together? 00:22:07.119 --> 00:22:17.759 Jesus' life begins with the burial spices brought by the Magi, brought by the wise men, to demonstrate that this child was born to live a life. 00:22:17.920 --> 00:22:18.960 This child truly is a king. 00:22:19.039 --> 00:22:20.000 The magi brought gold. 00:22:20.160 --> 00:22:23.039 He's gonna live a holy life, he's gonna live a remarkable life. 00:22:23.519 --> 00:22:28.720 There's not enough ink in the whole world to describe all the wonderful things Jesus did in his life. 00:22:29.680 --> 00:22:32.480 But all of his life is building towards his death. 00:22:34.240 --> 00:22:36.880 In his death, he takes upon our sins. 00:22:37.039 --> 00:22:37.920 This is the gospel. 00:22:38.000 --> 00:22:40.400 This is the word Jesus is used, Jesus uses here. 00:22:40.559 --> 00:22:43.599 In his death, he takes our sins on himself. 00:22:45.680 --> 00:22:47.440 We've sinned against God. 00:22:48.799 --> 00:22:53.200 We've committed sins against God that demand punishment and demand judgment. 00:22:53.440 --> 00:22:55.680 We can't pay for our own sins. 00:22:56.799 --> 00:22:59.200 Good people don't go to heaven when they die. 00:22:59.359 --> 00:23:01.519 There's no such thing as a truly good person. 00:23:01.680 --> 00:23:02.799 You understand that. 00:23:03.039 --> 00:23:06.079 Everybody has sinned and fall short of the glory of God. 00:23:06.319 --> 00:23:09.839 If you've sinned one time, that means you're deserving of God's judgment. 00:23:10.000 --> 00:23:18.799 God is a holy judge and a just judge and cannot simply overlook sins because other times you didn't mean to sin, or other times you tried harder to do better, or what have you. 00:23:19.039 --> 00:23:21.039 God's too perfect of a judge for that. 00:23:21.200 --> 00:23:25.440 So we stand condemned, rightfully condemned, because we're aware of our sin. 00:23:25.680 --> 00:23:36.079 The good news is that Jesus is the true Messiah, the true Savior, who through his miraculous birth and his sinless life can be our substitute in his death. 00:23:36.240 --> 00:23:38.640 He can take our sins on himself. 00:23:39.039 --> 00:23:45.039 He can be punished by God for our sins as God pours out the wrath that we deserved on Jesus Christ. 00:23:45.279 --> 00:23:48.559 Jesus on that cross can bear the penalty that we deserve. 00:23:48.720 --> 00:23:58.960 He can be buried into the grave, put into the cave, stone rolled in front of him, put into the grave for three days. 00:23:59.599 --> 00:24:08.000 And on the third day, he rises from the grave, reanimates his body, brings his physical body back to life, transforms it into a resurrection body. 00:24:08.240 --> 00:24:10.160 The stone is rolled away. 00:24:11.519 --> 00:24:15.920 He is resurrected in glorious life, truly identified as the king. 00:24:16.000 --> 00:24:35.839 And he is ascended into heaven where he stays at this moment, making intercession like a high priest would, making intercession before God, pleading for us who would believe in him, so that God will not punish us when we die, but rather takes our punishment having it nailed to the cross of Christ, forgives us through our faith in Jesus Christ. 00:24:36.000 --> 00:24:45.359 So that's the gospel that will be preached to the whole world through Mary's declaration that Jesus is the true Savior. 00:24:46.400 --> 00:24:48.240 His life begins with anointing. 00:24:48.480 --> 00:24:55.359 The middle of it, he's anointed by the Holy Spirit at his baptism, and the end of it, he's anointed by Mary for his burial. 00:24:55.519 --> 00:25:07.200 He had a miraculous birth, a supernatural, divinely spirit-filled life, and then a miraculous death, anointed for burial as the true Savior. 00:25:08.480 --> 00:25:10.079 He's the true King. 00:25:10.240 --> 00:25:29.519 And whoever places their faith in him can join Mary's song, can join Mary's proclamation in saying that Jesus was born, he was born to lead a sinless life, he was born to die, he died to resurrect, and he resurrected so that we can have our sins forgiven. 00:25:30.240 --> 00:25:45.759 If you're visiting tonight, if you're new at Emmanuel, if you're new in the area, if you're here with friends or with family members, I would beg you, I would plead with you to think through your relationship with Jesus Christ. 00:25:46.480 --> 00:25:52.799 Perhaps you were drug here unwillingly with the promise of cookies afterwards. 00:25:54.799 --> 00:26:06.720 But I want you to take this moment in your heart, to think through the reality of your own sin, to think through the reality that you have been an enemy to God in your heart. 00:26:07.519 --> 00:26:13.119 And to be thankful that Jesus, the Messiah, can take your sin away from you. 00:26:14.000 --> 00:26:21.279 That He's the true anointed one, the one given by God to the world to be our priest, to be our king, to be our prophet. 00:26:22.079 --> 00:26:48.160 God, we're grateful that you had a miraculous birth, worshipped by angels, separated by providence as you fled to Egypt, but before then adored by the wise men, receiving gifts to mark your life, gold for a king, frankincense for a priest, myrrh for burial. 00:26:49.039 --> 00:26:50.559 And now we see Mary. 00:26:51.519 --> 00:26:57.039 Our hearts are filled with really love and awe of Mary, her perception. 00:26:57.759 --> 00:26:59.279